Bill > S05282

This bill establishes a Joint Legislative Committee on Racial Equity in New York state, which will be composed of the majority and minority leaders from both legislative houses, along with 20 additional members appointed by the senate president and assembly speaker who represent the state's racial diversity. The committee's primary responsibility is to conduct racial equity impact assessments on all legislation favorably reported to both houses of the legislature, aiming to identify and minimize potential adverse consequences for different racial groups. The committee will have broad powers similar to other legislative committees and will be tasked with several key functions, including soliciting public input from racial equity experts, identifying state policies that promote racial equity, reviewing and recommending alignment of statutes and programs, searching for gaps or inefficiencies in implementation, suggesting new laws or budgetary priorities to support racial equity, serving as an informational resource for the legislature, and conducting public outreach. By creating this committee, the bill seeks to ensure that new legislation considers potential racial impacts and works to reduce systemic inequities across New York state.

Government Affairs

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S5282